Free Sublime Wreckage by Charlene Zapata Page A

She won't just let me hang her things back up in the closet. I know better than to do that. She wants me to suffer. After I have cleaned up all her clothes I start the washing machine. The next several hours are spent doing every little thing I can to please her. I clean every inch of our house leaving nothing untouched. If I stop or sit down for even a second she will start throwing punches again. I finish with all her laundry. While I'm hanging her clothes back in her closet I see the dress she was looking for. It was hanging behind her robe. I want to scream or cry or both. I want to fall to the ground and mourn the life I should have had with my father. My life wasn't supposed to be like this. I know it in my gut. I was meant for something better. But I don't give into temptation. I will not let her see me break. She WILL NOT break me. I made that promise to myself a long time ago.
    She watches me like a hawk the entire evening never relenting from her evil glare. I serve her whatever she demands. It's like walking on egg shells when she has an explosion of this proportion. A few days will go by before she goes back to her baseline hatred of me. It absolutely terrifies me when I see that much anger in her eyes. Does she really hate her own daughter that much? That's a question I don't think will ever be answered.
    It's just after 2:00 in the morning. I am so tired. My body aches from all the abuse it's suffered tonight. She finally told me I could go to my room. I don't dare get ice from the freezer for my injuries for fear of getting hit again. I can't handle any more damage to my body tonight. I softly close my bedroom door. I sink into my bed face down wanting to disappear but something hard is poking my thigh. I reach down into my pocket and pull out my cell phone. Just as I'm about to turn it off I see a text message.
    I hope you are having sweet dreams. Glad you made it safely home. See you tomorrow.
    I immediately decide to make his contact permanent in my phone. I even give him his own ringtone. That boy just put a smile on my face when I felt devastated. I might not have much in this world but it looks like I just made a new friend.
    I roll to the right side of my body hoping it will give me some relief from the throbbing pain pulsing up and down my left side. I hold back my tears refusing to give in to self-pity. I will not be that person. I'm stronger than that. I have survived that woman this long, I can endure a few more months. At least I hope I can.

Chapter Seven
    I'm not sure when I drifted off to sleep but it feels like it was just five minutes ago. I haven't been this tired in months. The first time I try to sit up sharp pain shoots up my left side. I immediately lay back down and take several slow, even breaths. Then I gently ease myself to a sitting position on the side of my bed. Somehow I manage to make my way to the bathroom. I turn the water to hot hoping for some relief from the pain. As I start to wash my body I see the bruises beginning to form. The most prominent bruise is right under my breast on my rib cage where she punched me. Damn that woman hits hard. I only notice two other smaller bruises further down my body. I am so thankful she didn't have shoes on last night or this would be a whole lot worse. I get dressed slowly because raising my arms above my head hurts like hell. I barely get a brush through my hair before deciding it's best to put it in a ponytail. My concealer not only has to cover dark circles under my eyes but the redness from the slap I endured the other night. Thanks goodness for cover-up.
    "Hey Amanda." I can't hide the fact that I'm sleep deprived and injured from her. She knows me too well. She also knows what happens behind closed doors. I used to share the details with her until I saw the effect it was having. She feels my pain so much that I couldn't keep inflicting that on her. I told her that it hurt me too much to relive the events so we just accept the reality